With Hearts to Hear| ✔

|30|

Killian parked his car outside the small house, following Rachel with Diana's car seat and baby bag in his hands as he followed Rachel up the stairs to the battered dark painted door marked 1B. 

The house was nice enough from the outside, the cracked gravel on the steps leading up to the door giving way to little weeds and dandelions. There were wide windows that overlooked the street, covered by curtains that Rachel had said was the living/ dining room. 

A knot had formed in his stomach in the 10 steps from the car to the door, his heart throbbing a melancholic beat in his chest when he realised they would have to part ways. He knew it was inevitable, especially when they had decided to work things out and still live separately, and yet it still stung.

Rachel turned her key in the lock, her heart racing when she felt his large frame follow her in. The little apartment was a mess— between a doctor, a single mother working two jobs and a baby, there wasn't exactly plenty of time to play house.

"Sorry for the mess." Rachel chuckled a little embarrassed as she picked up one of Diana's socks from the floor. 

Killian couldn't understand her apology. Rachel's laundry hung on a close horse drying, Diana's toys and books lay scattered around the room, and what he guessed was Rachel's roommate's shoes lined up close to the door.

The place wasn't messy, it just looked as if people lived there and it was quite charming; it was so different from his clinically clean house that his mother had cleaned three times a week.

"Where do you want me to...?" Killian looked around for somewhere to put the things in his hands.

He felt somewhat alien here, out of place as if he knew that this wasn't his space; he wondered if this is how Rachel had felt in his house.

"You can put them on the sofa." 

Killian put the car seat down first, Diana had fallen back to sleep during the drive back over, even if it had been quite short. She snored gently, oblivious to the world when Killian put her down and her diaper bag nearby.

"Do you think you could stay a little while longer? We still need to talk practically about what's going to happen next."

"I would love to, but I do need to get back... it'd be nice to change out of last night's clothes." He rubbed the back of his neck with a bashful grin. He had never intended to be out the entire night; who knows what Leandra thought he had been up to, or worse yet his mother. 

"Right." Rachel nodded, just a little disappointed. She wasn't sure if it was at the prospect of his leaving, or because they were putting off an important conversation. Her brows furrowed, a small bundle of anxiety coiling in her stomach when she realised how much would have to change. 

He would have to be added to Diana's contacts in case anything happened to either of them. Only if anything did happen, he would be at least a couple hours away, and knowing his commitment to his pack, would he really just drop everything for them? 

They'd have to work out a visiting schedule that would work for them both; she'd have to talk with him about school options; and the reality that she wasn't quite comfortable with him taking her on his own and being so far away. Not to mention the monster in law, that Rachel wasn't actually sure she wanted Diana around. 

There would be so many hard conversations, so many tiny details to figure out; even though it's what she wanted for her daughter— what her daughter needed— it was all so much. 

"Hey," Killian stepped forward, warm palms coasting up and down hers in comfort. He could feel her anxiety, and he could practically read her thoughts on her face. "We'll figure it out as we go."